Nail holder



R. C. TOMEK Oct. 30, 1962 NAIL HOLDER Filed Oct. 27. 1960 INVENTOR.

RUDOLPH C. TOMEK ATTORNEY 3,060,442 Patented Oct. 30, 1962 Free 3,060,442 NAIL HOLDER Rudolph C. Tomek, 143 Austin Ave, Tappan, N.Y. Filed Oct. 27, 1960, Set. No. 65,470 3 Claims. (Cl. 149.3)

The invention, generally, relates to nail holders and, more particularly, to a new and improved structural arrangement for a nail holder.

Many attempts have been made in the past to provide devices for holding nails, spikes, tacks, etc., in a suitable position for striking with a hammer, but few of such devices have proved practical for actual use. For example, certain disadvantages have become apparent in the use of prior nail holders, which render such nail holders something less than completely satisfactory.

A disadvantage in the use of a nail holder which employs the magnetic field of a magnet to support a nail is that repeated blows tend to weaken, if not destroy completely, the magnetism of the magnet, and such holders are operable only with nails, tacks, etc. which are formed of a magnetizable material. Other nail holders, if not detached and removed in time, become bound by the head of a nail or tack which is driven against it.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved nail holder which avoids the disadvantages mentioned above.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nail holder which is operably effectivefor its purpose and couples therewith an economy in manufacture,

Briefly, a nail holder constructed in accordance with the invention includes an elongated body portion of dimensions which are appropriate to permit grasping in the hand of a user. At least one end of the elongated body portion is reduced in width as compared with the width of the body portion and is formed of a suitable resilient material. A substantially vertical slit extends back from the end a predetermined distance to define flexible jaws between which a nail or the like may be supported, and the upper edge of each jaw is inclined or chamfered adjacent the slit to form a recess so that the head of a nail will tend to spread the jaws, thus preventing any binding when a nail is driven too far.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a nail holder in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the nail holder shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view in elevation taken along the line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end view taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is an end view taken along the line 5-5 in FIG. 2.

Referring now to a preferred form of the invention as shown in the above referred-to drawings, the numeral ltl identifies the nail holder generally. A body portion 11 :of the nail holder ll) is elongated and has a top 12 and two sides 13 and 14 extending downwardly therefrom to define an open, channel-like interior cavity 15 (FIG. 3) so that the Weight of the nail holder 10 is reduced substantially.

At one end 16, a slit 17 is formed vertically and extends from the end back for a desired distance, such as one or two inches, to define matching jaws l3 and 19. An arcuate recess 20 and a similar recess 21 are formed in the faces of the jaws 18 and 19, respectively, to receive a nail 22 or the like, as shown in FIG. 1, to provide a vertically extending channel so that the nail 22 will have surfaces against which it may bear to prevent tilting in the plane of the slit 17.

With an end structure as described above, the nail holder 10 will receive and support nails, tacks, etc. of any material, even non-magnetizable material. While the nail holder of the invention is adaptable readily for use with items other than nails, such as wooden pegs for example, it is provided with a feature which is particularly useful when used with nails having heads, such as a head 23 shown on the nail 22 in FIG. 1.

To prevent binding of the nail holder 10 under the head of a nail when the nail is driven too far in before the nail holder is removed, the uppermost edges of each jaw 18 and 19 are inclined or chamfered downwardly toward each other, as indicated in FIG. 4 by the chamfers 24 and 25. The two chamfered edges 24 and 25 together form a V-like trough or recess which extends substantially the full length of the slit 17.

Now, when a nail is driven too far, the head of the nail acts against the chamfered edges 24 and 25 and tends to separate the jaws 18 and 19. Since the material of which the nail holder 10 is formed is tough and elastic, the end of the nail holder will not be damaged if struck occasionally with a hammer during use.

Preferably, the entire nail holder 10 is formed of the same tough, elastic material such as rubber or plastic. Actually, by such methods as injection molding and the like, finished nail holders in accordance with the invention can be produced at relatively low cost.

While the end 16 is substantially the height of the body portion ll, an opposite end 26 is relatively low to ac commodate small nails, tacks, and the like. An inclined surface 27 forms a smooth transition between the top 12 and the upper surface 28 of the end 26.

Like the end 16, the end 26 is provided with a slit 29 extending back from the end a desired distance to form resilient jaws 3d and 31 with matching adjacent faces. Arcuate recesses 32 and 33 are formed, respectively, in the faces of the jaws 30' and 31 to function like the recesses 20 and 21, described previously.

Also like the end 16, the end 26 has upper chamfered edges 34 and 35 which extend from the end substantially the length of the slit 29. Therefore, binding is prevented for both of the ends of the nail holder 10 in the preferred form of the invention.

It should be noted also that both of the ends 16 and 26 have widths which are less than the width of the body portion 11 so that the nail holder 10 is slenderized further to reach tight or awkward corners. Since the use of any nail holder is particularly desirable when access to a work area is limited, every feature which contributes toward obtaining access is considered with favor.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its applications to the details of construction and arrangement of parts specifically described or illustrated, and that within the scope of the appended claims it may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described or illustrated.

What is claimed is: 1

1. A flexible nail holder comprising an elongated body portion having a predetermined width, height, length and top and bottom surfaces,

said length being substantially in excess of the other two dimensions,

said nail holder being formed of a resilient, rubbery material and having a supporting means at one end,

said supporting means including a vertical slit extending in the length thereof from one end of said holder through said body,

the surfaces of the walls of said slit being substantially whereby the head of a nail may act as a wedge to force parallel to each other, the walls of said slit apart.

the length of said slit being substantially smaller than an A flexible nail holder as Set forth in claim 1 in the saldlerlgth f Sald body Porno, which said converging flat surfaces extend substantially whereby flexlble J are defined Which y pp 5 beyond the said hole, thereby being substantially coexa nail, tensive with the length of said slit.

vertically extending recesses in said walls of said slit 3. A nail holder as set forth in claim 1 having supdefining a hole which may accommodate a nail, porting means on both ends, the height of the walls of the the said surfaces of said walls otherwise being substanslit on one end being substantially greater than the height tially flat, 10 of the walls of the slit at the other end.

and c0nve.rgin.g uniplanar Surfaces l References Cited in the file of this patent ward sa1d sl1t from said top surface to said wall surfaces and at an angle with said top surface thereby UNITED STATES PATENTS communicating with said slit and thereby defining 15 1,426,249 Bochonok Aug. 15, 1922 chamfcred surfaces, 2,707,784 Erdos May 10, 1955 

